Son of Neptune: Juno's Creation
by LoveLikeHades
Summary: Percy Jackson arrives in the Roman halfblood camp, and these soldiers don't know the meaning of a warm welcome. Follow his story as he searches for clues to his lost memory, and finds out the secret of Juno's creation.
1. Chapter 1

So this is my first PJO fanfic! I've just finished reading the final book, The Lost Hero, and once I found out _another _was coming out later this year, I had to write my own! So here it is – the completely NOT original Son of Neptune, from the PoV of Percy Jackson. Please read and review, and tell me what you think! CC is always appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson series, or any of the characters that are Rick Riordan's.

* * *

When he awoke, all he saw was endless white. He blinked against the brightness of the scene, and pulled the white covers over his head. He groaned and rolled over, not wanting to wake up anymore than possible.

"Get up," a voice growled, and he moaned again. He threw back the blankets and shielded his gaze from the sunlight.

Once his eyes had adjusted, he saw a girl standing in front of him. She was wearing... was that body armour? Her calloused hands were on her hips and her light brown hair was fiercely tied back into a tight ponytail.

"Percy Are you okay?" The girl asked, and she narrowed her hazel eyes at him. He blinked stupidly again, not really knowing how to answer her virtually impossible question. He searched through his memories, but they were only vague images of people he didn't know.

"I... I don't know," he muttered, sitting up and fully taking in his surroundings. He seemed to be in an infirmary, as there were people in medical outfits and injured children gathered all around the room. The bed beside him housed a boy with a full body cast who was mumbling something to the nurse next to him. He winced, and looked to his left. The girl there had blood streaming down her face, and looked to be unconscious.

Everywhere he looked there were people in old battle clothes.

"What do you mean you don't know? What's going on?" The girl pressed, her brow a furrowed line and her eyes possibly getting smaller.

"I don't know. I don't... I don't remember," the boy replied, trying to find something in his brain that was any type of title, any idea to what was going on. He came up short, again.

"That helps smartass. Who do you think you are, knocking yourself unconscious on our grounds, and then keeping secrets from us! Lupa doesn't care for weaklings, pup," she growled, and the boy frowned at her odd choice of words.

"Lupa?" The name sounded familiar on his tongue, but he had never heard it before in his life. He looked at the girl in confusion.

"The Leader of our camp, duh," she replied haughtily, looking at the boy. "Percy, what's changed? Grow up, and tell me what's going through that thick skull of yours. Do you remember who your godly parent is?"

His green eyes widened in surprise and doubt. He stood up, looking down at his bleak hospital gown. He had bare feet, and he had a few ugly, green bruises covering his arms.

"Godly parent? What are you talking about?"

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you? We'll get information out of you soon enough, Percy. We'll sort this out." The girl avoided his question and left the room just as a nurse came back in. She pushed him back down onto the bed with a scowl, and motioned to the white bandage on his head.

He hoped that his head wound was the reason for his sudden and obvious amnesia, and not something far more terrifying.

~o~

Lupa was not at all who he was expecting. A deadly wolf who could talk? That was not exactly on his list of possible camp leaders. He stared at the animal blankly, fighting the instinct to run as far and as fast as possible from her dull, endless black eyes and sharp claws.

"He's definitely not right, Reyna. But I think I know what he is," Lupa growled to the girl. Reyna bowed her head, and turned back to the boy, studying him. She tilted her head to the side, and her hazel eyes flickered green in the light.

"What are you doing here, Greek?" The wolf asked, and Reyna stared at him even more, wide eyed. He stared back at the two figures, not fully comprehending. Was 'Greek' supposed to mean something to him?

"Greek, Lupa? But that's Percy! Percy, who's been at camp for months! He can't be _Greek._"

"And how do you know he's been here for months, cub?"

"We've trained with him! He passed the test and he joined our camp. He was never claimed, so he stayed in Mercury Cabin. Just after he joined, Jason disappeared. We questioned Percy about it, and held him under trial, but he was proved innocent. How can you not remember this?"

"Dark forces of the gods are at work." The sky rumbled. "Reyna, Percy here is an infiltrator. He was sent here by the Greek camp – I believe that he has never even been here at all."

He was just about to question Lupa, when his breath was taken away by a flying shadow. And that was when Reyna pounced.

She seemed to fly through the air and land on top of him, holding his chest down with her knees. She put her hands on his shoulders and forced him to look at her. She looked into his eyes, and hers were hard and cold, filled with a malice that he didn't understand.

"Are you an infiltrator? Have you been sent by that pathetic excuse for a halfblood camp?" She screeched, her voice high pitched and her hands nearing his throat.

"I'm not... I'm not a halfblood; I don't know what you're talking about!" His mouth went slack as he looked at the two females. This was not a normal camp, but it had been a long day, he presumed. Could he be hallucinating? He couldn't remember. But he could remember was that gods, whether Greek or Roman, were not real.

"You don't know a lot of things do you, Greek?" She spat, as though it was the worst possible insult she could offer. To him, it was an old word he had vaguely heard in History class. Had he ever had a history class, or was in just a myth? His mind was so confused, he was beyond the point of caring.

"I know your name, pup, but that doesn't mean you've earned the right to stay here. You will be tested at dawn again, or so Reyna tells me. I'll expect you to fail and be food for my pack; surprise me, Greek." And with that, she slunk away, leaving Reyna scowling down at him. She raised her fist to land a punch on his jaw when Lupa called out again.

"Show him around camp, Reyna. Let Percy Jackson get acquainted with our members before he dies."

The girl clambered off of the boy, Percy, and looked down on him.

"Percy..." Percy muttered. It sounded right, like it fitted him. But who was Percy Jackson, and why couldn't he remember? It sounded familiar; he saw a boy with black hair and green eyes looking back at him, dressed in armour with an orange baseball cap.

"Let me show you around camp, then. Maybe the other soldiers in our Legion will rightfully kill you like Lupa should have done. Be careful, watch your back, and welcome to Camp Heroicus. Enjoy you delightfully short stay. We don't cope well with strangers."

And with that, Reyna lead Percy away from the infirmary and into the bright sunlight. He had a feeling he would need a map, and an ambulance.

~o~

"Everyone's at lunch at the moment, so you're lucky. They can't kill you for another hour." Percy winced at the mention of getting slaughtered again, and stared at the big camp. It dipped and dived, and seemed to go on for miles.

"These are our cabins," Reyna said, flourishing her arms wide as Percy gazed at the fierce looking homes with a newfound respect.

They were clean. They were perfect. They were virtually _identical. _Apart from the different symbols hovering over the doors, every cabin was exactly the same. There was a lightning bolt, a trident, an owl, and a dove, amongst other things.

"Are they always like this?" He stared at the rows of cabins, stretching in a semi circle around the middle of the Heroicus Camp.

"Yes; always. Lupa's punishments are severe if your inspection doesn't go... according to plan. Let me show you the different gods and goddesses."

Reyna lead him to the end of the row of the 20 cabins, which had a symbol of a star and a bed hovering above the door. He looked at it closely, and something stirred in his memories. Without thinking, Percy uttered one word.

"Hypnos."

"That's his Greek... equivalent," Reyna said cautiously, hesitating on the proposition that Hypnos could be the same god. "This is Somnus' cabin."

And they went through the row of the ten Roman gods. Every time they stood outside a cabin, Percy spoke what first came to his mind, and each time, he wondered how he knew. But most of all, he wondered why he just couldn't... remember.

There was Hypnos, Eros, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes, Ares, Apollo, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. Each time, Reyna corrected him.

"You stayed in the Mercury cabin, when you were last here. You went on a quest... and then you returned like this–" Reyna gestured to Percy's bandage.

"These are the goddess' cabins," his guide said, gesturing to the first building beside Zeus'. A small figure of a peacock floated just above the entrance.

"Juno is the goddess of marriage, so she doesn't have any demigod kids. It's really just here as a sign of respect and worship." Percy could have sworn that he had heard very similar words before, but he couldn't remember where or when.

And they travelled past the other nine goddess cabins, and Percy made the same mistakes as before. To him, they were simply Hera, Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Demeter, Hestia, Hecate, Nike, Eris and Nemesis.

"You're impossible," Reyna commented, narrowing her hazel eyes once more. The expression didn't suit her; Percy thought that maybe a kinder smile would help her face, but he didn't like his chances of that happening.

"Now for the tour of the rest of the camp, before the soldiers tear you to pieces, fuelled with chips and coke. Come on." The girl pulled Percy after her, and they went past the battleground, as she called it, and the coliseum. She led him past the shooting range and target practice, before stopping outside the stables.

Reyna pondered for a moment, before turning to Percy thoughtfully, with her finger resting on her chin. A devilish glint in her eye told him that her idea wasn't totally for his benefit. And it would probably be painful; or humiliating; or both.

"Take a look," she offered, and she moved out of the way of the door, a sneer on her face. As he moved into the stables, he almost screamed like a girl.

Pegasi. Real, live, wings 'n' all Pegasi. They were beautiful, Percy decided, but he was still convinced that they were a hallucination.

"That... they can't be...are those Pegasi?" Percy stuttered as footsteps echoed behind him. Reyna rested her hip on one of the stable doors and stroked the nose of a nearby horse. She grinned that same evil smile as he attempted to slow his heart rate.

"Yes. Beautiful creatures, aren't they? They need a lot of work, but it's worth it."

"I think I'm going to like it here," Percy dared to murmur as he tickled a night-sky black Pegasus, who whinnied and ducked his head.

"If you survive, that is," Reyna contradicted him, before leading him out of the stables. "We have a tour to finish before you're torn to pieces."

"Can you quit with the slaughtering stuff? It's giving me a nauseous headache," Percy grumbled. Reyna turned to him with one eyebrow raised. Percy tried t do the same, but ended up with what he presumed was a very odd expression on his face. Reyna laughed, and then stopped.

"No," she said abruptly, and she turned away as though Percy couldn't see the slight tears on her face.

~o~

"Okay, when they come out..." Reyna faltered as she looked towards the door. Percy shouted after her, chasing after her retreating shadow.

"Wait! What do I do when they-." He never had a chance to finish his sentence. A flood of kids in various armour and uniform filtered out of the large dining hall, full of energy and fuelled with, as Reyna had pointed out, coke and chips.

Percy didn't really like to admit it, but he didn't stand a chance again these fierce Roman warriors. He knew next to none fighting techniques, that he could remember at least, and had no weapons.

He was burnt Greek toast.

"Good luck, pup," a voice said ominously from beside him, but in the time it took him to turn around, Reyna was gone. He sighed outward, and looked under his dark eyelashes at the other people watching him intently.

They all wore purple tops and black shorts, like a casual gym kit, and were openly glaring at Percy. He hunched his shoulders and kept his head down as he walked past.

"Hey," a girl said, looking at him. She tilted her head like Reyna had done, and studied him. Romans seemed to like watching people.

She had dark blonde hair, and greyish blue eyes that narrowed as she took in his features. She was tall and slim, and somehow, Percy new that she would be the spoiled, popular one at high school. If he had ever been to high school.

As she watched him, her features changed from shock to fear to anger and settled on a burning hatred. Brilliant, Percy thought.

"Dakota," she said, offering her hand to shake. Percy took it cautiously, and as she did so, she pulled him to the floor with ease. "Welcome to Camp, weakling. Hey, guys!" She called, and all the people near us turned and stood to attention. It seemed like she was their leader.

"It seems like we have a guest – and from what Lupa has told me, an unwelcome guest. Percy Jackson is a Greek, and a traitor! Anyone want to give me any reasons why we should, or shouldn't, kill him?"

She smiled a shark-like smile, and looked around the group as they studied Percy like others before them.

Dakota didn't even need to give the order. One by one, the whole force of the nearby campers crashed into Percy. He saw the glint of a hundred blades, spears and fierce looking armour before everything went deathly silent.

* * *

As you can see, I've gone with the angle that everybody believes that Percy was already there. I hope you liked it! The next chapters are ready, and soon we will get to see Percy in all his gladiator glory!

Read, review and enjoy!

*~LoveLikeHades~*


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much for the reviews everyone, I can't believe I got so many for just one chapter! Anyway, I hope I kept you guessing, and I hope you like this one! Next chapter will have a bit more warrior-Percy action, don't worry!

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own any of Rick Riordan's characters.

* * *

A girl pushed her way through the crowd, her calm, dark green eyes blazing and her spear raised. She came over to Percy, who was currently locked in battle with an evil looking, built-like-a-wall Roman soldier. Somehow, he was holding his own.

He still had no idea, like everything else, how that had happened.

He had been pushed to the ground. Everyone went silent, and then they attacked. Percy had used his hands to hold off the brutal weapons, but he had a feeling that his muscles would feel like hell in the morning.

That was when she screamed, and everybody froze again.

"Stop!" She cried out, and from everywhere, long, green vines twisted from the earth itself and around the legs of the campers. The campers all around groaned, and stood still as their leafy prisons held them tightly.

The girl too had a purple top and gym shorts on, with small flowers tied into her long brown hair. Her features were soft and kind and her olive skin seemed slightly out of place.

"What do you think you're doing? He has the right to fight for his freedom and his place in our camp, just like every other one of us! And then you try to kill him as soon as he walks through the enchanted gates?"

"He's the enemy!" Someone from the crowd shouted, but the girl just narrowed her eyes in their direction. A vine tugged a bit more and pulled him to the ground. Percy realised that it was the boy he had been fighting moments before.

"And he was our friend! Do you remember? This is Percy Jackson! Caesar, he helped you perfect your sword technique just yesterday! Angeline, he taught you how to swim! He was helping Cassandra put up the wards of the camp last week! Just because he's... Greek doesn't mean he's weak, and doesn't mean he's the enemy. He's a halfblood just like us. And don't you forget it, Blake."

The boy, the one who called out, Blake, hung his head and stepped back. His sword crashed to the ground and his arm hung limp as the ground swallowed up his weapon.

The girl with powers didn't seem intimidating; she was medium height, and she had the air of someone who liked to stay hidden. But somehow, she went out of her way to help him, and everyone was almost scared because of it.

"Come with us. I'm sure you'll want some free time before dawn," the girl told Percy, and reluctantly he followed her echoing footsteps.

From all around he could feel eyes trained on him, piercing into the back of his head like the daggers in their belts.

"Us?"

As someone stepped too close, Percy reached for something in his pocket on instinct. He was surprised to find a small, golden pen hovering in his hand.

_Riptide, _a voice said in his head as he watched the object. Riptide, he thought. Where had he heard that before?

"Oh, of course; you haven't met my friends yet – well, we've met you, anyway. We'll protect you, don't worry. Somehow though, I think you'll hold your own in a fight. The way you were fighting off Blake... that was impressive, even for a professional fighter. Where did you train?"

"As I've told everyone to every single question I get asked – I have no clue."

"Did I hear something about protecting the Seaweed Brain? Pluto, that wasn't in my contract, Haze," a cool, collected voice asked from behind the pair.

The boy had dancing brown hair and blonde hair, with tanned skin that didn't come from working hours in the sun. He was short and lean, like a Ken Barbie doll in some ways.

"Contract, Samson? I don't remember seeing your signature anywhere that doesn't also have the markings of a Venus' daughter's telephone number," Haze replied, lifting a dark eyebrow suggestively, a devilish grin on her face.

"Aspen, am I really that vain? Your view of me is heartbreaking," the boy replied, feigning a heart attack and clutching his chest.

"I didn't know it was a secret, Robert. But I'm being rude; Percy, this is Robert Samson, son of Apollo," the girl told Percy who turned to see the happy, short boy smiling widely at him.

"Call me Bobby, Perce," Bobby said, holding out his hand. Percy reached out to shake it, but the boy took his hand away suddenly, laughing at the confusion on the Greek's face. "It's been a while since our almighty camp has seen some drama. Let me just get my extra large toffee popcorn and extra large diet coke and we'll be ready," Bobby joked, that mischievous grin still planted on his tanned face.

"I just realised that I haven't told you my name," the girl smiled shyly, giggling slightly at her own stupidity. "I'm Hazel Aspen, daughter of Ceres. Demeter in Greek," she confirmed.

"I'm Percy, son of... son of..." He stopped, and searched for a name of any parent. Nothing ever came, as always.

"Well, from what we know, you weren't claimed. So, you're son of your momma and daddy. Well, amnesia, huh? I don't think I could cope if I got that," Bobby said, a shiver obviously running down his spine, his face twisted in a mock grimace.

"Oh, I think I could. You've burnt enough images into my brain to make me want to forget _everything," _Hazel retorted, and Percy had a feeling that these two went a long way back.

"Trust me; you don't want to forget everything, because you'll always be wondering if you'll ever be able to remember just _something,_" Percy replied bluntly, fingering the pen in his pocket; thinking of the stormy grey eyes that looked like they could control the whole heavens to do their bidding; thinking of how he moved with his hands, defending and attacking like a dancer in a choreographed routine; wondering why whenever he looked around at the camp, tears formed in his greener- than- the- sea- itself eyes.

The people present were silent as they lead him towards another cabin, with a girl resting on it, watching as they approached.

"Gwen!" Hazel called, coughing slightly as though to change the conversation. The girl smiled warmly, and just as Percy got close enough, hugged him tightly.

"I've always wanted to meet a Greek," she gushed, a sense of wonder and curiosity in her grey eyes. He reminded him of somebody, somebody always hiding at the back of his thoughts. "All of that history... I, of course, don't believe those-"she waved her wrist offhandedly, "-rumours, which are insulting to our entire heritage, if you ask me. Which you didn't. I'm going on again, aren't I?"

She turned to Bobby who shook his head, and nodded behind her back. Percy cracked a smile.

"I'm Gwendolyn, daughter of Minerva, but call me Gwen."

Gwen had small, pixie like features with small eyes and a small, button nose. Her blonde hair was down to her shoulders, but pulled back into a lazy ponytail. She was taller than Bobby and just a bit shorter than Hazel.

"Minerva. That's Athena, right?" Percy asked, imagining a tall woman with the same eyes as her daughter but darker, and more like a rough sea than the calm breeze of the Roman's. She was dressed in full, but flattering, body armour, with a red fringed helmet and a large shield.

"That's correct; goddess of wisdom and battle strategy," Gwen said, but her smile didn't reach her normally calm eyes. Obviously, people got offended when you acted like their parents were similar to the Greeks.

"It seems as though you've met our other friends, Reyna and Dakota," the daughter of Athena said again, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

"They're your friends? Seriously?" Percy gasped, covering his mouth with his bleeding, rough hand when he realised how rude and unlike him he sounded; whatever the real Percy Jackson really sounded like anyway.

"Yes. We grew up here, the five of us, and of course, Cassandra joined just before you. Those two can be a tad more... intimidating," Hazel replied, nodding slowly. Obviously, he wasn't the first to feel the wrath of the two soldiers.

"Cassandra?" Percy started, but the girls gave him a look that said "We'll tell you later".

"Ignore them, though. They'll get heated over any argument; anyone here can tell you that. Dakota's always angry at something or someone, but usually it always relates back to her mother, Venus. She doesn't want to be a daughter of love; she would be better suited for the Mars cabin. And Reyna..." Gwen stopped, looking up to the heavens as though as answer would come down from them.

"Reyna's a special case, you could say. Or you could say she was... different. Or you could know the real story, and know that neither of those things are true," Bobby said, and they were the most solemn sentences Percy had ever heard him say.

"The real story?" Percy repeated, looking at the three friends. They were all very different, and yet all very calm. They were so close to each other and yet so far away. Percy wondered if he had ever had a group of tight-knit friends like that.

"Don't ask. You'll find out soon enough, anyway," Hazel reassured him, leading him away and back in the opposite direction; where they had just escaped from.

"Why are we going back?" Percy asked as Bobby and Gwendolyn started to follow them.

"You obviously got off on the wrong foot with Dakota, and on some levels, Reyna. And you haven't even met Cassandra yet."

"Cassandra?" He asked again, wondering how she was, and whether or not she would make the likes of Dakota and Reyna look like kittens.

"She's quite new here, like you. She's a daughter of Trivia, goddess of magic. She's very powerful for a demigod, and a recently found one at that." Hazel marched forwards, and as they peered over the hill, Percy saw the camp come to life before his eyes.

There were archers of Apollo firing arrow after arrow, dead centre every time, with smug smiles on their flawless faces. There were people crowded around papers and confusing blueprints; Athena's children were planning another victory.

There were fighters, brandishing swords and spears as Ares' kids fought. There were beautiful campers from Aphrodite checking their reflections in mirrors and pools, casting spells and love, unbeknownst to their victims.

There were sons and daughters of Hephaestus working away, building another wonder, no doubt. There were children of Hermes grinning and setting traps over cabins, stealing whatever was of worth from the pockets of other demigods.

And all around, there were smiles of triumph and acceptance. This camp may have been strict; it may have been cruel; and it may have been brutal. But they had all accepted their fate, and all strived to be the best.

The Roman soldiers were happy.

"Percy, come on. There's a lot to do," Hazel told him softly, and they continued into the battlefield. Heads turned, but nobody said a word to the group of very different people. Some nodded in their direction, but whether it was to Percy or one of the Romans, he couldn't be sure.

"I swear, if you even _try _to attack him I'll personally rip off your puny head and big ego," a level voice said angrily near the Pegasi stables, and Percy winced when he saw Dakota, Reyna and another girl arguing.

"I have a big ego, do I, Cassandra? Do you hear that, Reyna? The girl who boasted to Lupa about her charm skills says I have a _big ego!" _Dakota laughed bitterly.

"How many times must I tell you that I said nothing for it to get through your thick skull?" The girl, Cassandra, asked, feigning innocence.

"And yet, somehow she let you cast the protection spells around the camp! I bet she just _happened _to know what spells you were practising in class, didn't she." Dakota's anger was fiery and fierce, whereas Cassandra's was as cold as ice, using words as her weapons.

"Cassandra, you can't possibly think that he isn't a threat!" Reyna butted in, her eyes wide and her mouth turned downwards into a frown.

"I do think he's a threat. I just don't think he'd ever threaten us." Dakota turned even redder with rage and was about to move forwards, spear raised, before Percy's three companions stepped in between the fighting Romans.

"Ahem," Hazel coughed, and the three girls turned to her. They looked at Percy, who stared back, as still as a marble statue teetering on the edge of a cliff.

"Perseus!" Cassandra cried, and she smiled at him. Then, she raised her hand and muttered a few words in Latin. A glow covered the Greek, bathing him in a green light. The girl smiled, and her hazel eyes took on a glazed look.

"Just as I thought," she nodded, taking a step back and giving him a once over, her eyes gazing at the necklace just visible under his purple camp top.

"Are you beautiful girls fighting over me again? Really, ladies, there's no need. There's enough of the Bobbster to go around," Bobby joked, breaking through the tension like a slick knife. He was smart, for a prankster.

"You wish, Robert," Dakota said icily, her face breaking into a rare smile for a moment. "But what's _he _doing here? Can't you see that he's the enemy?"

Hazel, Gwen, Bobby and Cassandra sighed audibly, and turned to Dakota and Reyna, shoulder to shoulder. Their faces were fierce and unlike the kind ones Percy had been introduced to. He had a feeling that he was lucky to get on their good side.

"Are you going to fight us, Dakota, Reyna? Are you going to attack your friends because they don't see eye to eye?" Gwen asked, pressing the two girls into forming an answer. Cassandra's eyes were still slightly glazed over, but she had a determined look on her face that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Σταμάτα!" Percy cried, stepping in between the two parties, his arms raised to stop any attacks.

"What? Are you going all Ancient Greek on us, Percy?" Bobby asked, confusion written all over his usually mischievous face.

"I said, 'Stop'. Stop," he repeated. "Don't fight over me. If what you say is true, and I'm a Greek demigod, then I'll be dead and gone by dawn anyway, and you know it."

"Only if you give up. We've seen you, or we think we have, train. Come on; just because you haven't been tested yet doesn't mean you can't train with us," Gwen smiled kindly, and lead the seven of them towards the fighting grounds. The sound of metal hitting metal crashed against Percy's ears.

"And Dakota? When Gwen says train, she means _not kill," _the daughter of Athena said harshly, tugging on Percy's hand and pulling him forwards.

"We'll just have to see about that, won't we?" Reyna asked, staring at the Greek with equal respect and dislike.

She didn't know what it was, but something about him unnerved her. Maybe it was the way Cassandra had predicted his coming, as well as the camp Oracle, Melissa. Maybe it was the look of fear and yet determination in his sea eyes, or the way his soft demeanour was just a disguise for the fighter inside. Or maybe it was because Reyna knew those eyes when he turned up months ago – and then she saw them filled with confusion that broke her heart.

Maybe it was the way he reminded her of her Jason, her lost Jason. And that Percy was now going to prepare to fight for his life at dawn, in front of Lupa and the rest of the camp. And the chances were that he would fail.

* * *

Yay! The second chapter is up, and we get to see more of the six demigods later - meaning, the next chapter! I really hope you liked it!

Read, review and enjoy!

*~LoveLikeHades~*


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still don't own the PJO series or characters, or any myths from Greek Mythology (obviously...)

A/N People have been wondering how Percy is injured despite having the Curse of Achilles. I expect Hera would have meddled slightly; hopefully my ideas will be explained in the chapter.

Another A/N Cassandra is not, and never will be, Percy's girlfriend! She actually happens to have a lot to do with the plot in the story. *wink wink* Of course, she'd prefer if you called her Alexandra...

* * *

Percy gulped. As soon as the group emerged from the shadows, face after face turned towards him. Some were kinder, softer, like that of Hazel and Gwen, but most were hard and fierce like Reyna and Dakota. Nobody stepped forward, though.

"Right, Percy, I think you'll be training with Dakota, Reyna and me, today," Hazel told him, her voice slightly apologetic.

The for-mentioned narrowed their eyes and groaned at Hazel, who shrugged absentmindedly. "I'm only coming with you guys to make sure you don't kill Percy," the girl told them sternly, before turning back to the Greek.

"I'll protect you, Percy. I want to see what other tricks you have up your sleeves." She grinned at him, before turning and talking to Bobby.

"Will you be at archery? Percy's trying it out today."

"Sure. Percy, we'll have a whale of a time." The blonde haired boy winked in the direction of the green eyed demigod, who nodded absentmindedly. He had a feeling in the pit of his stomach, like he was dreading handling a bow.

"I have a feeling that I'm terrible at archery..." Percy muttered, and so Bobby motioned to the Archery Grounds and told him to have a go.

Three arrows and one injured demigod later, Percy decided that his instinct was right.

"I thought you were joking, but, I've never seen anyone _that _bad at archery. I didn't even know it was possible for the arrow to fly backwards," Bobby said, obviously shocked.

Percy blushed deep red, and muttered something about being late for his training session with the rest of the group.

Hazel had already gone on ahead, but Dakota, Reyna and Cassandra were waiting anxiously to go and get a weapon and fight.

"Come on, cub. If Lupa finds out that we were late for a session, she'll have our heads," Reyna said, and with that she dragged the daughter of Aphrodite with her and away from the targets. With a motion for Percy to follow, the two Romans disappeared over the hill.

A hand gripped his arm, and Percy jumped. He then saw Cassandra looking up at him, her wide hazel eyes trained on his sea green ones.

The group still walked on ahead, but Cassandra's grip kept him rooted to the spot. She fiddled with her curly red hair, and suddenly another face came to mind.

There was no name to match the image, just a girl, about his age, gracefully unfurling herself from a sleek limo on the sidewalk. She had deep red curly hair too, and dark sunglasses covered her eyes. She had paint splattered up her arms and the sleeves of her casual orange top.

He gasped, and the vision was gone. The girl was nothing but a faint memory at the back of his mind.

"Perseus..." He turned back to the other red-haired girl. "I see it, Perseus. It bathes you; covers you; engulfs you. It shimmers and moves as you move, following you."

Her eyes had become slightly glassy and she watched his whole body.

"What are you talking about, Cassandra?" He asked her, his voice soft and comforting. For some reason, he didn't believe her. He knew he should, but all he thought as words poured from her mouth was _Lies. _

"The shadows of Styx," she whispered, and then she stepped backwards. She tripped over a stone lying on the ground, and slipped.

Percy ran forwards and caught her falling body as though everything was happening in slow motion and she was made of just air. The girl stared up at him, and her eyes widened yet again. It seemed as though all her emotions were shown through her irises.

Unexpectedly, she jerked away and out of his grasp. She shook her head and the red waves curled around her head. "What are you, Perseus? Are you a god? Or are you a demon sent from Tartarus himself?"

"I'm neither. I'm a demigod, or so people are telling me. You don't need to be scared."

"Then why do I feel compelled to run when I see you, and yet trust every word that forms in your mouth?" Percy had no answer for that, and so stayed silent. Cassandra watched him more. "Do not make me regret my decision to let you into this camp, Perseus Jackson." And with those words, she stalked off ahead of him and into what Reyna had called 'The House.'

~o~

"Ready, Percy?" He felt as though the armour should've been weighing him down. He should've been at their feet, not standing upright and fiddling with the golden pen in his pocket.

"No," he admitted, looking at Blake. It was just his luck that this son of Ares-Mars has been put into the same training group as him. They were both standing amidst other campers on a hard, even plain that was called, simply, "The Battle Grounds." Percy gulped and was thankful was they weren't in the Coliseum behind him.

"Good luck, _Greek. _Say hello to Tartarus for me," the brute growled, and the smaller boy felt a shiver run down his heavily armoured spin. He tried to remember what Cassandra had been scared of, what she saw in him, but it was only shadows. She was a daughter of Hecate; they always had emotional issues, it seemed.

"May the best halfblood win," Percy muttered back, readying his sword. It was not what he was used to; although, he couldn't remember if he'd ever held a sword in his life.

A cannon roared in the distance, and the fight began. Percy swung at the armoured body in front of him, but Blake dodged the blow easily.

He needed to get into the fight. He needed to tap into the warrior that people believed was there. He had just avoided Blake's next shot at running the fierce blade through his body when something seemed to move in his pocket. _Riptide. _

The word haunted his mind again, but he still removed the small, golden pen from his gym shorts. On instinct he dropped his Roman sword and clicked the end of the object.

Gasps were heard across the battlefield as Percy lifted the weapon. It fitted perfectly in his steady hand, and he swung it in a circle. He knew he was showing off, but he had found out what the writing tool, _Riptide, _was for.

"That's illegal! You brought an extra weapon into a sparring match!" Blake growled, shocked. The other campers just seemed to shrug and muttered something about it not being the rules, per se.

"It seems your camp disagree with you," Percy murmured to his opponent. He glared at the Greek demigod, his hard blue eyes almost piercing his armour. _If looks could kill, I'd be dead ten times over. _

"I'll kill you, pup!" Blake leapt at Percy, who curled into a ball on instinct to protect himself. He couldn't help, at that moment, but think of Cassandra's words. _I was bathed in the shadows of Styx. _What was Styx? Percy remembered it, and remembered it well. For some reason, he associated the word with the image of the blonde haired girl.

He waited for the blow to come, he waited for some sign that the Roman's attack had worked. Nothing came. He felt nothing against his bare arm. He uncurled himself and looked at the sword hovering in front of his eyes. He was bent in the middle, as though it had tried to strike some unimaginable force... and hard.

"What?" Blake mumbled, staring at Percy and his own weapon in awe.

The red haired daughter of Hecate pushed her way through the crowd and towards us, a brilliant but wary smile on her easy face. She looked down at the sword, and then winked at me. There was an _I told you so _look in her hazel eyes.

"That's cheating! He should be gutted!" The brutal Roman cried, but everybody ignored him. Cassandra looked down at Percy, and offered her hand to pull him up. She tugged him upwards, before letting him go again.

"Hey!" Percy shouted at the girl, after landing on the hard ground below.

"Sorry, sorry," she muttered helping him up again. "You're heavier than I thought!"

~o~

"_What _was _that?_" Reyna asked as soon as Percy and Cassandra emerged from the throng of people.

Cassandra still had that stupid grin on her face, but Percy couldn't help the slight tug at the corners of his lips as they approached the two girls waiting for them at the edge of the battlefield.

"_That _was one hell of a trick, cub," Dakota offered also, glaring at the raven haired boy with an evil glint in her green grey eyes.

"I was right, Perseus. I was right!" Cassandra chortled, hugging Percy's arm affectionately. Dakota raised her fair eyebrows as Reyna simply scowled.

"Yeah. But what were you right about, Cassandra?" Percy replied darkly, looking at his bare arm where the sword should've struck. He could see no shadows there, but there was no wound. Something was definitely wrong.

But Reyna was one step ahead of all three of them. "The River Styx." Percy looked at the girl blankly. "The curse of Achilles?" Now all three members of their gathering looked at Reyna with confused looks in their different coloured eyes.

Percy remembered that name, though. "Achilles was the Greek hero who became invincible."

"Exactly! Not completely invincible though. He was dipped into the River with his ankle, and therefore his left ankle was not fully invincible."

"And somebody missed his shot with an arrow, and hit his ankle, unknowingly killing him," Percy finished in wonder. "But what are you saying? That I have a particularly weak ankle?"

Cassandra hit her palm against her forehead with an exasperated sigh. "Perseus... Reyna's saying that you bathed in Styx. You went for an afternoon dip in the River of Pluto. You're invincible." Percy gaped at the daughter of Hecate.

He then looked at himself, seeing if he felt any different to... to what he should feel, he supposed. To Percy's knowledge, nothing had changed. Then again, you didn't just bathe in the River of Hades in your sleep, did you?

"Maybe your power only surfaced when you subconscious knew it was there," Cassandra offered, looking pointedly at the Greek demigod. "Remember? I thought something was around you; the shadows of Styx." The girl smiled smugly at Percy, giving him another wink before turning her gaze onto Reyna and Dakota. She looked confused for a second, and then looked around the group again. "Where's Hazel?"

~o~

"That. Was. Awesome!" Bobby and four other Apollo children gasped as soon as Percy, Cassandra, Reyna and Dakota arrived in the Archery Grounds. His smile was wide enough to challenge his father's, and it shone like the sun. He truly was a son of Apollo, even if his giddiness and constant optimism wasn't proof enough of that already.

"It was!" Another boy, Bill, agreed, looking at Percy in awe. "The whole camp's talking about it! I didn't believe them when I heard, but then people sent me recordings... and, well, I saw it with my own eyes!"

For some reason, this lively son of Apollo reminded him of somebody. That somebody was far away... untouchable... and yet, his name was on the tip of Percy's tongue.

"Where's Hazel?" Bobby asked, craning his neck to see if the brown haired girl was hovering behind her friends.

"We were hoping you knew," Percy wondered, mimicking Bobby's actions and peering past the Apollo cabin members to see if a certain child of Demeter.

"I think she went to The House," Blaize, another Apollo spawn, said from the back, leaning against his glowing cabin. Percy, Reyna, Dakota, Cassandra and Bobby all stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Why would she be at The House?

"Well," Dakota said, rubbing her hands together, "I think it's finally time for a bit of snooping, don't you?"

"Dakota, we can't!" Reyna said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, Reyna. Never trust a Roman." And with that, the warrior daughter of Aphrodite strutted to behind the Apollo cabin, motioning for the group to follow.

"How do you explain us actually getting past the enchantments and Lupa's guards, and not to mention the steel locks?" Bobby asked Dakota, the fear in his voice betraying his cool exterior. A son of the sun, cool. Percy laughed silently to himself at that.

"Like this."

Percy gaped as Dakota broke the locks with her sword and flirted with the guards, persuading them to let her through and give her just enough time to knock them unconscious. She then called Cassandra over, who grudgingly released the enchantments momentarily on The House. Then, we were in.

"How..." Reyna started, but Dakota cut her off.

"Just because I'm a daughter of _Venus _doesn't mean I can't have some kick-ass skills. Deal with it, bitches." And with that, she sauntered quietly into The House, and motioned for the rest of the group to follow. Percy blinked, but followed a girl who he knew he should _never _trust.

"I think she's in there..." Bobby muttered, and the son of Apollo opened his palm to reveal a soft light, illuminating the otherwise dark room.

Voices were muffled behind the large wooden door that blocked Percy from knowing the truth, however innocent. He leaned into the wood and listened as the conversation became audible.

"What is your analysis, Hazel?" Lupa's distinctive voice growled through the wall, and Percy flinched slightly, thinking of tomorrow when Lupa would be cheering for his destruction.

"I still can't believe I'm doing this, Lupa! I count Percy as my friend – why should I betray him to be your spy?" Hazel hissed at the wolf, and Percy could just imagine her charcoal irises narrowing ever so slightly at the daughter of Ceres' biting comment.

"Because I am your leader, pup. And you will do what I say for the good of your camp. I would encourage you to keep that in mind next time you try to snap at me." Lupa's voice was cold, possibly even colder than the tone she used when Percy first woke up. She was not a wolf to mess with – but then again, neither Percy nor Hazel were your average sheep.

There was silence from the other side, and Percy strained his ears to listen for any hint of a comeback from Hazel.

"Yes, Lupa," the girl whispered, and Percy leant his head harder against the door. He knew that the sound of Lupa's anger was enough to scare anyone, but he had almost hoped that Hazel might've defended him a bit more.

It was pathetic, right? He seriously needed to stop hanging out alone – it was starting to worry him.

"What is you observation?"

"He's strong; stronger than a lot of demigods his age. He's talented with a sword, and terrible at archery. He makes friends easily and seems to be a loyal and worthy opponent. I do not think he will fail tomorrow's test."

"Do you think he is the one mentioned in the prophecy?"

"He must be," a new voice interrupted. Percy knew that voice from somewhere.

"Gwen..." Cassandra muttered sadly. Of course – it was the daughter of Athena. There was a _tap tap tap_ of a foot slowly hitting the hollow floor to a rhythm Percy could not himself hear. Dakota's knuckles turned white as she gripped the hilt of her sword tighter, and Reyna's breathing became slightly faster.

"And why do you think that, Minerva' child?" Lupa asked, her voice slightly raised as though the girl should not have spoken.

"_Five will stand against the wave; there is always one you cannot save; a hunter's bow and a lightning roar; foes shall wait for the ship to soar._

'Five will stand against the wave' may refer to either the Romans or Greeks standing against a child of Neptune, hence the wave – or, it could involve Neptune himself. The second line is questionable, but the third may relate to the Hunters of Diana and a child of Jupiter, or Diana and Jupiter themselves. The final line implies that the _Greeks _may be preparing to attack, or even us," Gwendolyn explained to Lupa, reciting what Percy guessed to be a prophecy.

"Yes, but why do you suspect the Greek cub?" Lupa pressed, and Percy imagined her face twisted into a sneer, much like one of an old Maths teacher hovering at the back of his mind.

"I believe that Percy is a Son of Neptune."

Percy? A child of Poseidon? But he wasn't even sure that he himself was a demigod, let alone the son of one of the Big Three. He couldn't even remember his own name, for the gods' sakes!

"Indeed? And why could that be?"

"He acts like a buffoon more time than I have spent on math questions! I question his temper, and quite frankly, his sanity. He has the typical eyes of Neptune, as well as the trademark cocky grin! Yes, I may have no proof, but I _do _have my mother's intuition, and I am telling you Lupa that Perseus Jackson is not to be trusted!"

Well, there Percy was, thinking that he had finally met a nice Roman.

"Well, well, well. A daughter of Minerva insulting somebody without proof; I never thought I'd see the day." A ghost of a smile haunted Percy's lips, but he didn't know why. He didn't know any daughters of Athena, apart from Gwen.

"Gwen, just because your mother has rivalry with Neptune doesn't mean you can jump to conclusions. It may just be daughters of Minerva, but I don't know what you've got against Percy," Hazel finally said tiredly, and Percy felt the creak of the door as a body rested against it casually.

"This has nothing to do with my mother!"

Bobby leaned over towards the black haired boy, who was scrunching his eyebrows together in confusion.

"Gwen's mum, Minerva, has never visited her. She's only seen photos, but she's really protective of the goddess. She hates Poseidon and spiders with an unhealthy obsession, personally," the son of Apollo explained in a rushed, whispered voice.

Percy nodded slowly, showing Bobby that he had understood when really he was more confused than ever. Maybe that was just Percy.

"Children, stop it. We will decide Percy's fate tomorrow, after and if he survives his fight in the morning. Perhaps he will be claimed at the bonfire – it is a full-moon, after all. The gods will be particularly watchful tonight, when they can see clearly from the heavens," Lupa said harshly, and Percy heard the patter of her pads hitting the floor as she walked away from the door behind which the group were hiding.

"Gwen..." Hazel muttered to the other girl, who snorted loudly.

"Haze, I can't let a Greek ruin our lives. The other prophecy... Jason missing... it's too much to deal with right now. If we get Percy out of the way, maybe we can concentrate on finding Jason, and the child of the prophecy. If I convince Lupa that he's a threat..."

"If you convince Lupa he's a threat a price of a 1000 drachmas will be posted onto his head," Hazel replied angrily.

"And Jason can come back."

Percy breathed in deeply when the two girls became silent, and one by one, they filed out of the door at the back of the empty meeting room.

"Who's Jason?" Percy whispered after 5 minutes of the same silence dragging on.

"Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter. He was the leader of our camp, but just before you arrived... he disappeared. Nobody's found or heard from him since. Everybody's on edge and nobody knows what to do. Hazel hopes that you'll help us find Jason, and Gwen thinks that if he will kill you, we'll find Jason," Bobby answered as the other girls in the room remained in the chasm of suspense and _shock. _

"And what do you think?"

"I think we need to keep our heads and stop fussing over things that, right now, we can't control."

Who would have thought that a son of Apollo could be so intuitive?

* * *

Sorry that it took me so long to update! I've been working really hard on this chapter, which I happen to be really pleased with. Hopefully, it tied up some loose ends and untied some more. I've written a scene for the next chapter, so hopefully it won't be such a long wait next time. Most of the chapters will be around this length or longer, so I hope that that's okay with you!

Read, review and enjoy!

*~LoveLikeHades~*

HERE IS A PREVIEW OF A LATER CHAPTER, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHICH YET::

""But soon, I was myself again. Of course, I didn't have my mature body, but my mind was the same. I suppose it was enough, don't you think?" She grinned, and performed another twirl. "And I quite like Livia's little body – so lithe, so innocent. Almost ironic, isn't it?"

Percy clenched his jaw, and curled his hands into fists.

"Is she dead?" Percy asked, watching Livia's body twist and turn around him.

"Oh, not yet, little godling. Almost, though. Soon, my soul will take full control – and then I can prophesise again. Won't that be a show to remember? I'll get you back – all of you. I'll show you your worst nightmares and you won't believe a single word, and when your world and your friends burn to the ground you'll wish you were a normal _human.""_


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